1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a convertable bed and bathroom combination for helping an individual with limited mobility to become more independent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The elderly, as well as the handicapped, often experience great difficulty in tending to personal hygiene and getting in and out of bed. There have been numerous attempts to combine bathroom features to aid convalescent patients. L. K. Gordon U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,166 combines a toilet with a shower such that an individual may be seated on the toilet and receive a shower while in the seated position. The apparatus is contained within a cabinet with doors through which the individual enters the cabinet. The Moran U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,508 provides a bathtub for invalids with a rotatable end part to assist the invalid in getting seated within the tub. Afterwards, the occupant-assisting feature lifts the individual out of the tub and pivots around, thereby providing a safe exit from the bathtub. The Johansson U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,524 discloses a shower bathtub combination with a toilet seat disposed above a collecting bowl. The shower water both washes the individual and provides a flushing medium for the collecting bowl to flush anything from the collecting bowl into a discharge conduit.
There is a continuing need for improved units to aid the elderly and the handicapped in becoming self-sufficient. One of the most difficult adjustments for many individuals who have been active throughout most of their life is the loss of self-sufficiency with advanced age or as a result of an accident, stroke, or other disabling illness or injury. The inability to do what previously had been common and simple tasks of personal hygiene can be very frustrating and demoralizing.
At the same time, the inability of an individual to move between bed and bathroom means that a great deal of personal care and attention is required for the individual's care. This increased level of attention falls upon family members or requires that the individual be cared for outside the home. In either case, this tends to increase the family's attendant time, financial obligations and stress. The individual often begins to see himself or herself as only a burden to the family.